Process for the treatment of oleaginous seeds or oleaginous vegetable substances for the purpose of extracting the oil contained therein



` 1,616,319 Feb' l 1927' G. KAMMERMANN 1 PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF OLEAGINOUS SEEDS OR OLEAGINOUS VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES FOR 4THE PURPOSE -OF EXTRACTING THE OIL CONTAINED THEREIN 4 Filed Feb; l, 1924 l. l .mama-:awww l I l ci A Patented Feb. l', 192.7.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.y

GEORGES KAMMERMAN, orY PARIS, FRANCE.

PROCESS FOR T/H'E TREATMENT OF OLEAGINOS SEEDS 0R OLEAGINOUS VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXTRACTING THE OIL CONTAINED THEREIN.

Application -filed February 1, 1924. Serial No. 659,991.

fThis invention has for its object a process for the preliminary treatment of oleaginous seeds and fruits to obtain a larger proporltion of oil, the latter being subsequently eX- tracted by the usual means that is to sayby pressure and the use of a solvent.

Up to now the oleaginous vegetable yseeds were usually crushed,- heated andvmoistened with 'water during the crushing operation and then squeezed in the -cold or in the hot state. Some oleaginous seeds were submitted to an initial-pressing in the'cold without V previous moistening and then to 4a second and sometimes a third pressing While hot 1I with previous moistening. This method is generally employed in modern oil extracting works.

The heating and -moistening ofthe oleagivnous seeds have for their purpose 'to soften lfthe latter and swell the cells thereof so as to cause them to more easily break "up under the inuence of pressure.

It has also been proposed to treat amylaceous substances such as grains of wheat, rice or maize by a cooking under pressure,

the temperature reaching 300 C., then subjecting them to a sudden reduction of pressure whereby the cells will burst, and there will be finally obtained a spongy mass; but zo this method cannot be .used for oleaginous seeds, for should they be heated under pressure to such temperatures the result would be a pasty mass from which it would be ldificult toextract the oil. .5 It has also been roposed to treat oleaginous seeds or like atters by first grinding them, then drying them and finally meistening them so as to obtain a uniform degree u of humidity before extracting theoil by 40 pressure. A

According to my invention I heat the olea .inous seeds as is done in known methods morder to soften them, and to raise the temperature of the moisture or water which a they contain; I then subject them to a4 sudden vacuum, so that said moistureorewater,

when thus heated will be brought to a sud` den and violent ebullition, being converted into vapor, and thus causing the explosion so or bursting of each of the' cells; theoleaginous grain \or like matter is then moistened in order to restore the moisture lost in the said vacuum treatment, and inally the substance "is subjectedto the usual operations,

such as the extraction of the oil by pressure or by a solvent,l`-

Another feat-ure of the invention consists in the fact that the substance is mixed or stirred up during the vacuum treatment.

The treatment of the oleaginous matters comprising the aforesaid operations may be 1 carried outq for example, in an apparatus of the type illustrated in the accompanying drawings. A

My. said apparatus comprises two vessels --or v'digesters A and B provided with a jacket C for'the circulationof steam'for indirectheating, and each vessel is-,provided' with a stirrer D.

The two vessels containing the seeds are connected by suitable conduits provided with taps H with a large vessel G in Which a high vacuum is produced by a pump E that 4is r connected with the vessel G by a conduit F.

The operation, which may be continuous, 75 is performed in the following manner:

The oleaginous seeds are charged into one of the vvessels, for instance the vessel which is slightly heated, and said vessel` 1s then connected with the vacuum chamber G; 30 the vacuum as complete as'possible is suddenly applied and is maintainedsfor a few minutes while rotatingthe stirrer D in vessel A. The moisture in the oleaginous seeds or the like, contained in the vessel A`will be converted into vapour and will lcause the cells to burst.

When this boperationl is completed the tap I-I is closed.A The mass is-then moistened, for instance by delivering steam or water into said vessel through a pipe ar,V controlled by a cock b. This injectionisedected immediately after the oleaginous seeds have been subjected to the vacuum treatment and while the vacuum still prevails in the mixing chamber A.. In this condition the oleaginous matter, which has acquired theproperty of absorbing water, will rapidly' absorb all the moisture supplied to'it, and this will be uniformly distributed. The temperature of the 'seeds at the time when the vacuum is'produced is 6() to 70 degrees C., and the vacuum is maintained for ab0l1t-10 minutes. 1 f

This amount off moisture should fbe .equal in principle to thev amount of ,moisture which is disengaged from the substance dur-v ing the vacuum treatment. The amount-of.

moisture varies with the nature of the seeds and with their state of dryness. -This latter is observed at the time at which a fresh lot ot' seeds is to be operated upon, and the degree of moisture, after the vacuum treat ment, is again observed upon a sample taken out, so as to determine the aniouiit of moisture which the substance lacks by reason of the vacuum treatment. i y

The operations are pei-formel iii like maniier iii the vesselull, and it is obvious that one vessel may be charged While the other is discharged, connecting the said vesselsl alternately With tlie vessel G in order to provide for a continuous operation.`

The .linal ii'ioisteiiing, which serves to restore to the grain the moisture whichY has been removed during the yaeuuin process, maybe effected outside of the digester in a separate apparatus of ,any4 suitable na' ture. i

What I claim is:

l. In a process of extracting oil from oleaginoiis seeds, or" the like by meansof pressing, facilitating the release of the oil held by the oil-bearing seeds by heating the seeds, then subjecting the heated seeds to a suddenly applied vacuum which causes the bursttlie moisture contained therein, together with a subsequent step of inoisteniiig the burste'd' cells in order to restore the moisture which was lost dui-ing said vacuum treatment.

ing ofthe cells thereof bythe ebullition of 2. In a proceg's of extracting oil from ole- Y aginous seeds, or-tlie like by means of 1pressing. facilitating the release of the oi held `iii the oil bearing' seeds by heating the seeds,

subjecting the'heated seeds to a. suddenly t GEORGES KAMMERMANN. 

